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(No Model.)

B. L. ZALINS-KI. ARTILLERY CARTRIDGE.

No. 487,400. Patented; Dec, 6, 1892.

WITNESSES [.N VENTOR .Attorney UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFIFICEQ EDMUND L. 'ZALINSKI, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

ARTlLLERY-CARTRIDGE.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,400, dated December 6, 1892.

Application filed June 19, 1888.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMUND L. ZALINSKI, of the United States Army, stationed at Fort Hamilton, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artillery-Cartridges, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to cartridges tor heavy ordnance; and it consists in the construction, substantially as hereinafter described, by which a slowcombustion of powder is maintained, and the pressure is kept up for a considerable time or until the projectile has reached the muzzle of the gun.

The cartridge may be used as an auxiliary to a pneumatic cannon or as an accelerating charge in any gun. The object is to. maintain a relatively-low but uniform or increasing pressure in the bore of the gun.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a gun with cartridge chamber considerably enlarged. Fig. 2 is a front view of a cartridge, illustrating my invention. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a similar cartridge. Fig. 4 illustrates a device for using the cartridge in connection with the air-pressure in a pneumatic cannon. Fig-5 illustrates a mechanism for using the cartridge as an accelerating charge. Fig. 6 is a rear view, partly broken away, of a modification.

A indicates the barrel or tube of a gun; B, the gas-supply pipe leading to the tube of a gas-pressure gun.

A cartridge 0 is made of a material which I has little tendency to transmit heat. Compressed paper is such a material. tridge G is a cylinder of size to fit the powderchamber in a gun. The cylinder has acentral passage D, provided with a large number of radial chambers E, and preferably a number of chambers F,parallel with the axis of the cylinderand pointing forward. All the chambers D E are filled with gunpowder, preferably a slow-burning quality. As the chambers are .separated from each other bythe partitions H the powder-charges therein contained will burn independently of each other. The powder-charges for each chamber D E may be a small cartridge-say a little more thanamusket-charge for guns of small caliher-contained in a paper or similar casing.

The caran No. 277,517. (NomodeLl The charges in chambers F are ignited by ignite all central passage D toward-the periphery'of the cartridge. I The longitudinal chambers F may be dispensed with; but for convenience I prefer that they shall be even if they are left unfilled with powder.

The preferable construction of shell or casing is shown in Fig. 6. The chambers E in this instance are conical or fan-shaped, increasing in diameter or width toward the periphery. The centralportion 0 of the easing has these chambers formed therein and may be loaded with the powder-charges and then slipped into the ring or hollow cylinder 0 thus completing the cartridge. Then when the charges are ignited along thepassage D the gases of combustion will pass through the small apertures at the inner ends of-chambers E and into passage D and so along the boreof the gun. As the size of chambers E increases towardthe periphery, the burning-surface of the powder-charge is constantly increasing, and consequently the gas is developed with greater rapidity as the velocity of the projectile increases, thus maintaining an approximatel -uniform pressure. By igniting the front chambers first and permitting the rearward chambers to be ignited therefrom,'the combustion of the charge may be extended over a longer interval of time.

I am aware-that it'has been proposed to use in artillery .firing a compressed powdercharge consisting of a hollow cylinder of powder to be ignited at the center, and as the combustion extended outward in increasing circles the pressure of gas increased. Such charges have hitherto proved unreliable, for the probable reason that the great pressure developed at the start breaks up the cylinder and practically crushes it into line powder, which burns explosively and not slowly, as intended.

The objectof mycartridge-casing is to subdivide and practically insula/e each of the powder-charges from the others, both as to present in the cartridge heat'an 3. explosive elfect. I The casing should therefore be rong-enough, when sustained pressure through supply-pipe B. When the projectile reaches the pin Q, which'extends through a holeintothe bore, the pi n is pressed out,-a battery-circuit is closed, as at R, and through wireS the cartridge is fired by usual appliances well known in the art. By this means a torpedo or projectile containing a sensitive high explodent may. be started with a low pressure and the pressure greatly insubstantially as described.

creased when the projectile is well under way.

In Fig. 5 an auxiliary chamber A may contain the cartridge 0 andthe gases of combustion pass through the diminished passage A to the bore of the gun in which the projectile is placed, either with or without a starting-charge.

What I claim is 1. In combination with the bore of a gun and communicating therewith, a cartridge having a casin g composed of a material which is a non-conductor of heat and a plurality of permanent charge -containing chambers in said casing, said chambers communicating to a singlepassage which communicates to the bore of the gun in rear of the projectile, all

2. A permanent cartridge-casing for explosive charges, having a plurality of chargechambers and composed of material strong enough to withstand the firing of the contained powder-charges, and a sufiicient nonconductor of heat, so that one charge may not ignite another by heat radiated through the casing, substantially as described.

3. A cartridge for heavy guns, consisting of a cylindrical body havinga longitudinal passage and a plurality of chambers radiating therefrom and closed at their outer ends, said body being of a material which cannot be ruptured by the explosion of the charges, substantially as described.

4. A' cartridge for heavy guns, consistingot,

a permanent casing having a passage which opens in a direction toward the bore of the gun and in rear of the projectile when the cartridge is used in a gun, said casing having .a plurality of permanent chambers opening into this main chamber and each supplied with an explosive charge, substantially as described.

5. The-cylindrical cartridge-casing having a central passage and a plurality of practically-radial passages communicating therewith, and an inclosing ring covering the outer ends of the radial chambers, substantially as described.

6. The cartridge-casing having a central passage and a plurality of practically-radial chambers communicating therewith, said chambers being of greater diameter toward their outer ends, and a ring or casing closing the outer ends of these chambers, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND L. ZALINSKI.

Witnesses: v W.'A. BARTLETT, L. M. BARTLETT. 

